My Friends and Other Enemies
by riynariddle
Summary: Who says Tom Riddle was always evil? *Newly Revised, and soon to be updated!!!!!!*
1. Riddle Freak

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Well, actually… considering how little JKR has told us about the lovely Tom Riddle's past, I own a little. A little, but not a lot. The rest if JKRowlings. Go read her books. :D

A/N: Mwuhahahahahaaaaa, new revised version of my beloved My Friends And Other Enemies (hereafter known as MFAOE). Enjoy, m'dearies!

'Riddle! Riddle! Hey, Riddle Freak! How's your mother?'

'Yeah, Freak! How's your mother?'

'Where's your dad then, Riddle?'

Tom marched onwards, eyes narrowed and fists clenched. Any normal person would've noticed the danger signs long ago, yet the Gang always kept in step with him and continued taunting. 

The rain was getting very heavy. The Gang had all pulled up the hoods of their neat regulation school anoraks up and over their neat haircuts. Tom's dark hair, however, was dripping. He blinked it out of his eyes, although that might've been his tears, dripping unnoticed down his pale cheeks. The Gang, however, did notice, and crowed in delight.

'You crying, Riddle Freak?'

'Cry baby! Run home to your mamma, cry baby!'

'But riddle don't have no mother, do ya riddle? Hey! I'm talking to you, riddle! Don't walk away!'

Tom closed his eyes tight. Just ignore them, Lucy had said, Just ignore them. But it was so hard. And what if they followed him? Which they always did. How could he just walk away? Especially when they taunted his mother.

'Don't they teach you any manners in that Freak Place, Riddle?'

'That's why your mam left ya, Ridd-'

Tom spun around, grabbing the boy by his throat. All the Gang gasped, and as one backed away. The unfortunate boy struggled, eyes bulging. Tom smirked, and tightened his strong grip. There was a strange Look in his dark eyes, and a shiver passed down his spine. If he wanted to, he could kill the boy.

'Mention my mother again,' spat tom, his face dangerously close to the others and the Look still remaining.'and you'll be sorry.'

'Let James go, Riddle!' yelled one of the Gang, taking a step forward. Tom spat at him, and threw the boy, James, onto the cold stone floor. James gasped, clutching his sore throat, but his eyes were dark, and he looked angry. 

The sense of power of Tom's had gone, only to be replaced by fear. 

'Right,' James hissed, scrambling up and starting towards the smaller boy. Tom, having more brains than the rest of them, and far more practise, ran.

'Coward!' yelled the Boys, jumping up and down in rage. 'stupid shitty coward!'

Tom closed his eyes tight, dodging any stones they happened to throw at him, of which there were many (all of careful aim). He seemed to have a natural talent for running away, and right now was using that talent to the best of his ability.

Soon the shouts faded, and the heavy rain splattering against old cobbles was the only sound, save toms still pounding feet. But soon they too fell to a halt. Tom sighed, sitting down in the squelching mud, and put his wet head in his wet hand. It was cold, and he was late Home. And tomorrow (and here tom felt sick with fear), tomorrow the Gang would make him Pay.

But that was life for Tom, or Riddle Freak as he was more commonly known. Run and hide was a 'game' he had always had to play. That was the way life seemed it always would be. And tom felt scared. He was trapped in a dark, dark tunnel, where people threw stones at him and insulted his poor dead mother, and there was no way out. And that was what scared tom.

The thought that he might never be able to get them back.


	2. I have something important to tell you

Disclaimer: Its mine!!! All mine!!!! mMwuhahahahaaaaaaa!!! I wrote it all!!!!!!!! I AM JKROWLING!!! I am also a Great Big Liar. Get over it. 

'_Where_ have ye been, y'stupid little boy?' hissed old Mrs Higgins, grabbing the bedraggled boy, who stood sullenly in the doorway, by a sodden arm. Tom, resigned to the forthcoming lecture, didn't resist, and allowed himself to be dragged, dripping, into the house.

House was not the best way to describe the place. It was a building. People lived in it. But it wasn't a house. A house was a home. People loved you, and wanted you, and didn't go and _die _on you in a home. Your mothers didn't hang around to give you stupid names, then went and popped their clogs. Leaving you in some crappy Home where nobody loved you, and people threw stones at you. Mothers didn't die when you were at home. And people loved you, at home.

This wasn't home. This was a Home. The dumping ground for unwanted and generally stupid children, damaged children who nobody loved. 

'Sorry, Mrs Higgins,' mumbled Tom, hanging his head in mock shame. 'It wont ever happen again. I'm ever so very sorry, Mrs Higgins.'

'Aye. Ye always are. But that don't stop ye, does it?' Mrs Higgins shook her head, and muttered to herself as she dragged the miserable boy to the 'play' room. 'Now, get along in there and don't start any fights, _please_.'

Tom silently shrugged, closing the door in the old ladies irritable face.

Silence greeted him. Dark and narrowed eyes, full with grudging fear, followed his every move from the closed door to the moulding sofa. Tom sat, and stared at them all. Each pair of eyes cast down, breaking contact from his icily questioning Stare. 

Tom smirked. He still had it. At school he may be the underdog, with stones thrown at him and his heard forever thrust down the toilet, but here he ruled the world. Power was great, and tom _had_ power. And all the children knew it.

'You're wet,' murmured a soft voice in his ear. 

'Clever girl,' snapped tom, spinning around to stare defiantly at the small and shockingly skinny girl who had just spoken.

'I know,' snapped back the girl, wondering what she had done in her past life to be cursed with a best friend whose tongue dripped pure sarcasm.

'Isn't it amazing?'

'Yes.'

'Good,' tom sighed, and stretched out on the sofa. It creaked ominously, but nobody cared.

'You,' breathed the girl, whose name was Lucy Evans, into tom's ear. 'Have a letter.'

'A... letter?' Lucy smiled at the sight of tom riddle, usually the master of snap backs, gawp at her. 

'Yes, a letter,' she carefully reached into the pocket of her tattered summer dress, and drew out the offending article. Tom stared at it, holding it with trembling hands.

'A letter. I've never had a letter before,' he whispered, slowly pulling out the letter inside. It felt strangely heavy, and parchment like. Lucy watched him closely, as he quickly scanned the page. It was astonishing to see how many expressions one could pull off in under 10 seconds, but soon tom settled for chalk white and wide eyed.

He slowly folded the letter, and glanced at Lucy.

'Come with me.'

'Why?'

'I…' tom took a deep breathe, pulling Lucy to her feet. 'I have something important to tell you...'


	3. Sticks and stones may break my bones

Disclaimer: If I was JKRowling, do you think I'd REALLY be sitting around writing fan fics???

'So... you mean you're, like, a wizard? All magic and pixies and stuff?'

'Well, yeah. I guess. That's what the letter said.'

'Oh,' Lucy paused, absentmindedly straightening the creases out of her dress. It was quite a nice dress really, once you got used to the colour. Tom was pacing up and down, running his hands through his dark hair. Both were afraid to say what had dawned on them, but it had to be said. 

'So...' she chewed her lip. 'You'll be... going away, huh? Magic school, and all that? You know?'

'Yeah. On the 1st September.' Tom closed his eyes, and sat down on the damp log beside his best, and only, friend. 'I don't want to, Lucy.'

'I know,' Lucy paused again, then reached out shyly and took his hand. 'But do go. It's better than here. At least one of us should do something worth while. I mean, how can you plot world domination stuck in an orphanage in the middle of nowhere?'

Tom laughed weakly. Lucy managed a half-hearted smile. The two sat in silence for a while, but Tom suddenly became aware of how he was still clutching Lucy's warm hand in his. They both blushed, and detached themselves from one another, then went back to silence. 

'But Lucy!' burst out tom, jumping up angrily. 'I can't DO magic! I've never done ANYTHING even remotely magical! I CAN'T BE A WIZARD!'

*****

'Where the hell is he?'

'Stupid little bastard,' hissed James, rubbing the dark bruise that ringed his still sore neck.

'He can't've gone far,' muttered the tallest one, Alan. The rest of the Gang nodded in irritable silence, slowly scanning the grey fields for any sign of the Riddle Freak.

'I can't be a wizard!'

'Did you hear that?' hissed Alan. The rest nodded, excited. Slowly they spread out, circling their unaware prey. The chase had ended, and the hunt had begun. And they were _angry_.

*****

'I CAN'T BE A WIZARD!' repeated tom frantically. 'I don't WANT to be, Lucy. I want to stay here, with the fields and the rain and everything that makes me be me. With you.'

He blushed, and turned away. He felt sick. He didn't want to do magic, so why did he have to? Nobody could make him. Tom Riddle was _not _a wizard! Tom Riddle was just… Tom. And he wanted to be with Lucy. He liked Lucy. He needed Lucy. He-

'Aaaaaaaaww. How _sweet_.'

'Looks like Riddle Freak got himself a _girlfriend_.'

'Riddle Freak and the Stupid Bitch,' spat James, narrowing his eyes. 'A PERFECT couple.'

'Shut up,' hissed Tom, clenching his fists. James smirked coldly, taking a step towards the smaller boy.

'You, Riddle Freak, are gonna pay.'

'Yeah, Riddle Freak.'

'You and that stupid bitch!'

'I'm sure you're mum wouldn't've wanted you to go out with stupid bitches, would've she?'

'Ha! _She _was a stupid bitch and all. And a _slut_. My Dad told me all about _her_.'

'SHUT UP!' shrieked Tom, springing forwards at the speaker, James. With a loud thud, the two boys fell to the floor. James yelled in rage, kicking furiously. 

'Get off him!' yelled the remainder of the Gang, grabbing Tom and pulling him away. Tom struggled, swearing and spitting, but he was out numbered and not as strong as them anyhow. Lucy grabbed angrily at the boys arms, but was swatted away like a fly.

'Leave him alone!' she shrieked. 'LEAVE HIM ALONE!'

'Say cheese,' hissed James, clenching his fists. Tom struggled helplessly, knowing only too well what was about to happen. 

With a loud CRACK-

James laughed-

Lucy was sitting on the floor, crying-

Tom gasped, his face exploding in pain, but he suddenly knew what to say-

And then-

There was a burst of bright green light...

(A/N: Sorry. I know. This chapter sucks. I'm not pleased with the beginning, and I've never been great at fight scenes...)


	4. I'm scared

Disclaimer: yeah, yeah, yeah... not mine, never was, never will be.

ALSO... a huge, great, AMAZING thanx 2 ravenclaw, my first ever reviewer!!!!

*****

'Tom...? Tom...?' the voice sounded distant, and not entirely real, and the sound crawled through the darkness of his head.

Tom sighed, giving into the inevitable, and peeled his eyes open. His head hurt, and his throat was sore. He groaned, squinting at the bright light.

'Tom, are you alright?' Lucy was peering at him, pulling his arm, and helping him to sit up. He leaned limply against her shoulder, running his hands through his damp hair. It all seemed unreal. Something was… wrong.

'Tom?' repeated Lucy, taking in his strange and slightly listless look. 'Are you ok?'

'Hmm,' Tom blinked, remembering Lucy. 'Yes… Yes, I'm fine. Just fine. Are YOU ok?'

'I... I think so,' Lucy slowly stood up, rubbing the mud off her damp dress. 'But... Tom, WHAT HAPPENED?? I don't understand! Those boys, they were... and then...?'

'I think,' Tom gulped, grabbing Lucy's arm and pulling himself slowly and shakily to his feet. He still wasn't quite sure if his legs really belonged to him. 'I did... you know,' his voice fell to a hoarse whisper. '_Magic._'

It was dark already, but not the dark of night. The sun must've gone down only a couple of minutes ago, and thin rays of dim light still hung over the horizon. Tom stared intently into the half-gloom, brushing an anxious Lucy away and ignoring her frantic questions.  But she hovered by his side anyhow, noticing how scared and ill he looked, and not quite himself. Tom ignored her, kneeling down by the fallen body of James. His stomach heaved.

He was a _murderer_.

Tom's natural instinct was to vomit, but his whole body seemed to be in complete shock. He shivered, backing away from the still body. The Gang must've run off, leaving their fallen soldier to rot.

'Lucy,' he mumbled clutching at her cold and clammy hand. 'I killed him. I didn't mean to, I swear. But I KILLED him. I'm a murdered, Lucy!'

'It wasn't you're fault.'

'Yes it was. I could've just HIT him, Lucy! Hit him and ignored it. I could've just taken it.'

'No, tom. He PUNCHED you, tom, right in your FACE. It was only natural to fight back.'

'No, Lucy! I wanted him dead, I WANTED to kill him!' he grabbed her shoulders frantically, eyes wide and pupils dilated in terror. 'I said the KILLING curse!'

'The what?' 

'You know! Avada Kedavr-' Lucy gasped and clapped her free hand over his mouth. Tom paled.

'I almost said it AGAIN, Lucy! I could've killed YOU!'

'I know,' Lucy nodded sadly. 'So you see? You MUST go to the wizard school. Or you'll never learn to control it!'

'But Lucy,' tom closed his eyes, and hugged Lucy. 'I'm scared.'

'We both are, tom,' whispered Lucy sadly, resting her head on his shoulder.

***** 

The two remained in each other's until the first star came out, shortly followed by the rest. Soon the great black canvas of the sky was sprinkled all over with tiny diamonds. The moon rose. An owl hooted.

Tom and Lucy slowly started the journey back to the orphanage in silence, as each was wrapped in their own confused thoughts.

After a hurried goodbye, tom closed his dormitory door, and flopped onto his dormitory bed, listening to the dormitory silence.

Something had happened between Lucy and him. He wasn't sure what, and neither was she, but SOMETHING had happened, that tom was certain of. But he was tired, and his eyes were heavy. He would, he decided as he drifted off to the land of dreams, work it out in the morning. With that he fell asleep.

Little did he know there would be an old and mysterious man waiting for him at the door in the morning, and he would not see his best friend for a long time.


End file.
